Edward james curran



(No Model.) E. J. OURRAN. GARMENT POCKET.

No. 555,433, Patented Feb. 25, 1896f MAM. PNOTOILMQWAGHING'I'ON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVARD JAMES CURRAN, OF BATHURST, NEIV SOUTH ALES.

GARMENT-POCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,433, dated February 25, 1896.

Application filed November 29, 1895. Serial No. 570,488. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD JAMES CUR- RAN, tailor, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of EX- change Buildings, Bathurst, in the Colony of New South ales, Australia, have invented certain new Improvements in Garment-Pockets, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to render pockets of garments proof against the operations of pickpockets and against the danger of articles falling out of the same when the wearer stoops or is subjected to violent motion, or when the clothing containing such pockets is so handled that the pocket is upside down. Further, themeans I employ enable one pocket to be used as two distinct pockets,- one within the other, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Referring to the accompanyings drawings, in which my improvements are illustrated, Figure 1 shows a trousers-pocket in side elevation, and Fig. 2 shows a cross-section thereof on line Z Z in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows one form of bar, and Fig. 4 another'form of bar, each made of spring steel, used in my invention, and Fig. 5 shows the bar in Fig. 3 in vertical section. Figs. 6, 7, and 8, show in side elevation, vertical section, and trans verse section, respectively, a coat-pocket, the sections in Figs. 7 and 8 being taken on the lines X X and Y Y, respectively, in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 shows a vest-pocket in side elevation, and Fig. 10 a vertical section on line W W in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 shows avertical section of a pocket in which there is a modification as compared with Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a pocket containing another modified arrangement of parts, and Fig.13 is a horizontal sectional view of the parts 0 D on the line V V in Fig. 12.

WVhen a hand is inserted into any of the pockets indicated by Figs. 1 to 9 it meets an apparently firm bottom along the surface D, and downward pressure does not open a way farther inward. The part marked B constitutes a complete inner pocket with sides B of suitable equal length, as in Fig. 6, or unequal length, as in Fig. 1, said pocket hanging freely within the ordinary pocket A and being neither so wide nor so deep as A, the spaces of A at the sides of B being shown by E and that at the base by F, and it will be obvious that these sides and bottom spaces may be utilized for keeping the respective contents of pocket A in particular positions. Part of the base of pocket B is in some cases permanently closed, as shown at B in Figs. 1 and 8, so that articles in B may rest therein without dropping into Awhenever the pocket A is entered. Any small article put into pocket B may also be allowed to rest therein, with the lip D serving as a base. \Vithout the lip D any weighty article, if thin, might work its way into A, but with D in use that is prevented. The wearer can move such articles on to B when he wishes to enter pocket A; but to a thief such articles would act as a blind to the existence of a protected pocket beyond B. In most cases, as in Fig. 9, the whole base of B may be openable. The openable portion of pocket B is composed of two bars of spring-steel O and D, which are sewed to and inclosed by the base of the material forming the pocket B, holes C and D in said steels being provided to enable the steels to be closely secured in and by the material. The covered steel bars are connected or sewed together at each end and normally remain straight and close together, with the upper edge of O beneath the lip D of D. The ends of the connected steels are not so .tightly attached as to prevent the bars being separated widely at their centers when required.

In order to enter pocket A the wearer will have to place his hand in B and by pressure on the sides thereof stretch apart the steels O and D, and this is easily done, the operation being, if preferred, assisted by, in the first place, inserting a finger between the steels at either end, where the lip D narrows off to nothing. The slots D in D are to allow the steel to bend readily and being covered up in actual use will not be then noticed. The lip D should be so placed in the pocket, when the same is sewed in, as to project away from the bodyof the wearer, so that it cannot out or press the skin.

In modified form the pocket B may be provided with an entirely and permanentlyclosed bottom B and the opening into A may be a horizontal one at or near the top of B, as in Fig. 11, or the longitudinal line of the opening may be a vertical one, as in Fig. 12, at the side of the pocket 13. In neither case would a thief be likely to find entrance to A, mere pressure from 13 giving 110 such result. Presuming, however, that an expert thief knew so much of the construction of the invention as to find an entrance to A, as shown in any of the figures, a further difficulty would await him. 011 the attempt to withdraw his hand from A the bars 0 D would by their inward pressure have a tendency to retain their grip on the same, so that the whole of that part of the pocket B would tend to move with the hand, and in so movin g the unusual position of the bars relatively to the body of the wearer would be likely to attract the latters attention. This would be the case particularly with a trousers-pocket; but for this device the pocket B might be attached to A at a part, as G, Fig. 1, which forms one end of the opening into A from B; but in view of the said device, and in order also that the wearer may shift about the part of pocket B which leads into A with more freedom, the said pocket B is only connected to A along its upper edges II. The springopening will not be equally embarrassing to a wearer, who with a little practice will acquire the habit of controlling the spring-opening so that it shall not give inconvenience.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is In a garment-pocket, the combination with an outer pocket A, of a smaller inner pocket B, the said inner pocket being secured to the outer pocket only along the edges of its outer opening, and hanging freely within said outer pocket, the entrance to both of said pockets being through a common opening; the said inner pocket having an opening leading to the interior of said outer pocket; the springmetal strip D having a serrated flange D' secured to the material of said inner pocket at one edge of said openingand plain flat springmetal strip 0 secured to the material of said inn er pocket at the opposite edge of said opening, the strip C normally lying fiat against said strip D With its upper edge beneath and abutting against the said serrated flange D on the strip D, and closing said opening, substantially as described.

I11 witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

E I) Hi RI.) JAM E S C U R RA N.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. WM. KNIGHT, BERND. S. CODY. 

